While the article by Schmidt is good, I have several problems with the way the Times handled it. From a write up I did elsewhere:
Newsworthy as this article is, I have some problems with the way The NY Times is handling it.
One is timing. Publishing this story on a weekend means it will likely get lost in the weekend news void — like the article published by the Times a week ago laying out how Chief Justice John Roberts worked behind the scenes at the Supreme Court to hand down rulings shielding Trump from prosecution. Running this story on a Monday at the start of the news cycle would likely get more followup stories and spark other outlets to report on it. It should be a blockbuster story — especially with Trump proclaiming loudly that he’s being unfairly prosecuted — but will it have legs?
The answer appears to be no.
The story has disappeared from The NY Times digital front page as of Sunday morning. Will there be anything about this on the Sunday talking head shows? My guess there is no as well — the media considers this old news barring any really shocking new developments. The shock bar has been raised really high by Trump after all.
Second, there’s an odd omission. Several people are cited in the article as having written books; Geoffrey Berman is quoted from his. But — The NY Times fails to give the titles of the books, which would seem to be basic journalism. One might speculate whether or not the Times is reluctant to make it easy for people to look more deeply into the story.
Third, there’s also the headline. You’d think a major story like this should have been displayed a little higher on the digital front page — unless the Times doesn’t think it’s all that major. It’s also a bit subtle. “As President, Trump Demanded Investigations of Foes. He Often Got Them”. Try some alternatives:
“Once Secret Documents Show How Trump Politicized DOJ to Attack His Enemies”
“Trump’s Claims About Politicized Prosecution Are a Confession of What He’s Done and Will Do”
“Trump Weaponized DOJ in First Term — Will Go All The Way in Second”
Fourth, an additional observation not specifically related to the Times article. Trump has been tweeting some wild accusations about Democrats and spewing them at his rallies. There’s a tendency by the media to gloss over them. It’s easy to take them as a sign of Trump’s ongoing mental decline and dismiss them. That would be a mistake.
Between Project 2025 and the Roberts Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity, the accusations should be treated as threats Trump fully intends to carry out.
If anyone thinks that’s too extreme, look at Mark Robinson in North Carolina to see what’s acceptable in the Republican Party these days. Look at JD Vance dismissing the remarks attributed to Robinson.
Fifth, this isn’t exclusive to Trump. Republicans in Congress have turned Congressional hearings into political show trials when they have majority power. They have engaged in open lawfare, aided and abetted by the partisan judges they have installed at all levels of the judiciary.
While the article by Schmidt is good, I have several problems with the way the Times handled it. From a write up I did elsewhere:
Newsworthy as this article is, I have some problems with the way The NY Times is handling it.
One is timing. Publishing this story on a weekend means it will likely get lost in the weekend news void — like the article published by the Times a week ago laying out how Chief Justice John Roberts worked behind the scenes at the Supreme Court to hand down rulings shielding Trump from prosecution. Running this story on a Monday at the start of the news cycle would likely get more followup stories and spark other outlets to report on it. It should be a blockbuster story — especially with Trump proclaiming loudly that he’s being unfairly prosecuted — but will it have legs?
The answer appears to be no.
The story has disappeared from The NY Times digital front page as of Sunday morning. Will there be anything about this on the Sunday talking head shows? My guess there is no as well — the media considers this old news barring any really shocking new developments. The shock bar has been raised really high by Trump after all.
Second, there’s an odd omission. Several people are cited in the article as having written books; Geoffrey Berman is quoted from his. But — The NY Times fails to give the titles of the books, which would seem to be basic journalism. One might speculate whether or not the Times is reluctant to make it easy for people to look more deeply into the story.
Third, there’s also the headline. You’d think a major story like this should have been displayed a little higher on the digital front page — unless the Times doesn’t think it’s all that major. It’s also a bit subtle. “As President, Trump Demanded Investigations of Foes. He Often Got Them”. Try some alternatives:
“Once Secret Documents Show How Trump Politicized DOJ to Attack His Enemies”
“Trump’s Claims About Politicized Prosecution Are a Confession of What He’s Done and Will Do”
“Trump Weaponized DOJ in First Term — Will Go All The Way in Second”
Fourth, an additional observation not specifically related to the Times article. Trump has been tweeting some wild accusations about Democrats and spewing them at his rallies. There’s a tendency by the media to gloss over them. It’s easy to take them as a sign of Trump’s ongoing mental decline and dismiss them. That would be a mistake.
Between Project 2025 and the Roberts Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity, the accusations should be treated as threats Trump fully intends to carry out.
If anyone thinks that’s too extreme, look at Mark Robinson in North Carolina to see what’s acceptable in the Republican Party these days. Look at JD Vance dismissing the remarks attributed to Robinson.
Fifth, this isn’t exclusive to Trump. Republicans in Congress have turned Congressional hearings into political show trials when they have majority power. They have engaged in open lawfare, aided and abetted by the partisan judges they have installed at all levels of the judiciary.